Originally published: April 25, 2013

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Like Top Gear’s Richard Hammond, I have a soft spot for American muscle cars, for better or worse. Historically known for only being useful in a straight line, being notoriously unsophisticated and impractical but undeniably lustworthy and badass, drivers often have a love-hate relationship with their muscle cars.

Luckily for me — someone who loves the muscle car look but not all the muscle car downsides — there is the Dodge Charger. To be honest, I got into the Charger expecting the worst. I have never been more wrong in my life. The Charger (especially in SXT AWD trim) is incredibly refined and acts nothing like a typical muscle car, except in the looks department.

And, man, does it look mean. A menacing snarl on the front end, sharply raked windshield, bulging fender flares and a very Challenger-inspired rear end combine to make a car with serious street cred. I saw people of all ages taking long looks at the Charger, trying to sneak photos with their cellphones and even a teenager who told me, “That car is siiiick, yo.”

Because you don’t see many Chargers on the road — especially ones as red and tricked out with enormous 19-inch rims like my tester — it has a road presence not many of its competitors can claim. It helps that the Charger is “large and in charge.” It took a while to get used to the Charger’s imposing size, but the blind spot monitors, back-up camera and high seating position helped.

Once you push the start button, though, the muscle car persona fades into the background. I expected a burbling, growling, cacophonous engine start, and was perplexed when I heard a quiet hum instead. Did I do something wrong? Nope. The Charger is just that refined.

And the Charger remains refined when you start to drive it. The smooth gear changes in the eight-speed automatic (class leading — most sedans in the segment make do with six or seven cogs) go by unnoticed, with the transmission willing to kick down a gear when needed. The Dodge looks like a heavy car and has a nice heft to it, but it doesn’t feel heavy on the road because the award-winning 3.6-litre V6 engine is so capable and willing with its 291 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The Charger isn’t a blindingly fast car, but it does the job for daily driving needs.

One thing I wished for in the Charger was an option for a Sport mode and manumatic shifting. The sedan is a cruiser, not a racer, but the option to turn the performance up a notch should be there if the driver craves it without having to go balls to the wall and upgrade to the SRT8 model (which I am absolutely dying to drive).

The ride is smooth, the cabin is quiet and highway driving is a fear-free affair because of the Charger’s solid feel and safety gadgets. Even in the upper rev range, the engine is never thrashy, and remains quiet and smooth. The suspension and big tires soak up all road imperfections, but along with the nicely weighted steering, provide a good amount of feedback so the ride doesn’t feel floaty and far-removed. The suspension also keeps the Charger magically flat in speedy turns.

The AWD system is also a smooth affair. To save fuel and focus on performance, the default mode is to send power to the rear wheels, but the system quickly redirects power to all four in certain weather conditions.

The refinement continues inside the cabin. Everything is tightly put together, and nothing rattled or felt cheap. The attractive dashboard is made with quality materials and it looks clean, as most of the functions except climate control are accessed through the 8.4-inch touchscreen. Some people like physical buttons, but the UConnect system is so user-friendly that I don’t think it will be a big issue. Completing tasks like pairing a phone, changing the clock, fiddling with safety presets, scanning satellite radio channels, finding a place to eat or using the navigation are incredibly easy to do with UConnect’s intuitive interface.

The cabin has many smart features that will have you wondering what you did in your life before the Charger. Things like a slot perfectly sized for an iPhone and cupholders that can keep your drink cold or hot (part of a rather pricey $2,000 customer comfort option package that includes leather-trimmed bucket seats, heated second-row seats, power front seats with a lumbar adjustment, and a security alarm). The lone weirdness in the cabin was the electric video game controller-like shift lever. Getting the car into the correct mode takes some practice.

The front and rear seats are comfortable thrones and legroom is ample. Finding a comfortable seating position is the driver’s seat is a breeze and the seats are supportive in all the right places. Open the trunk, and it looks like a cave.

The Charger is an excellent family sedan option for a driver who doesn’t want to settle for the status quo of boring, beige sedans with no personality. It’s big, bold, has wicked road presence and all the features and performance that will make you excited for the morning commute every single day. And with all-wheel drive, the in-charge sedan is a muscle car for all seasons.